India has developed a new generation multi-sensor, multi-weapon defence system against enemy targets on board naval ships. The state-of-the-art "Gun Fire Control System" (GFCS) developed by Bharat Electronics Limited will be installed on board the P-28 class of ships. "The GFCS is a quick reaction, multi-sensor, multi-weapon, short/medium/long range defence system against air, surface or shore targets on board naval ships", a senior official of the Bangalore-based Navratna defence PSU told a news agency. The GFCS is designed to provide air, surface or shore defence with 76 MM and 30 MM guns. Its purpose is to locate a hostile target using a radar or video tracker, acting on early warning search radars and to track its approach with high accuracy, in order to obtain reliable target data. The data is further processed and used to control the weapons by pointing it in an exact ballistic firing position for eventual destruction of the target. The GFCS continues to track the approaching target, simultaneously pointing the weapon on it, until it is completely destroyed. The GFCS comprises five functional sub-systems: tracker, weapon control, sight control, combat management system and support systems, each of which can be used as an independent system. The GFCS for the P-28 class of ships would be "handed over" to Defence Minister A K Antony at a ceremony here in the presence of BEL Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Kumar Datt on February 2. A state-of-the-art facility, dedicated to manufacture of Digital Flight Control Computer (DFCC) for the Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas) at BEL's Bangalore Complex will also come up. DFCC is a multiple redundant (improving its reliability, one channel will take over if another fails) digital fly-by-wire flight control system of Tejas, which controls manoeuvering of the aircraft. DFCC is a flight critical sub-system to be manufactured as per AS 9100 standards with stringent in-process and quality control processes, including environmental tests on each unit. To meet this requirement, BEL has set up this integrated manufacturing facility for assembly, inspection and testing of DFCC, all under one roof. The facility includes thermal cycling chamber, vibration machine, dehumidifying chambers for storing PCBs, high resolution inspection tools to identify process errors, automated test equipment for rigorous performance testing and engineering test station for testing the DFCC unit. Antony will inagurate the DFCC. Source: Zee News
